Operation Supernova
by Simply Citrus
Summary: The guild decides to take on educating Natsu for his pursuit of Lucy. Unfortunately, they're a bunch of perverts.
1. Chapter 1

**Notes:** This story is meant for mature audiences only. There will be language, and everything will lead up to an eventual lemon. I'm thinking it will likely be three chapters or so, but I'm not sure. Updates will probably be slow, and I apologize for that.

* * *

"It seems there is a certain _problem_ that needs to be handled."

The brunette pulled down the glass of beer from her lips and glanced back at the woman standing behind the bar. "Yeah, I've noticed it, too. It's time we took action."

"Can you help get our agents in place?"

"If you can handle the distractions, then I can handle the . . . education . . . of our target."

A wide grin spread across the white-haired devil's face. "Then let Operation Supernova begin."

* * *

 _ **Natsu POV**_

I had no idea what I was getting myself into that day when I walked into the guild.

The morning started out normal enough, with no sign that anything weird was happening. I started a fight with that stupid ice-loving stripper, made a mess of the guild's tables and chairs, and got beat up by Erza after some debris fell in her strawberry cake. It seemed like a typical day.

I was standing by the guild board and looking at available quests when Lucy walked through the door. A smile sprang to my face. Just the sight of her could do that to me. Even when she was yelling at me for breaking into her apartment or kicking me out of her bed, being around her made me happy.

I raised a hand in greeting, and I was about to ask her to join me and Happy on a job . . . only for Mirajane to swoop in and whisk Lucy away, proclaiming that they were going to have a much-needed "girls' day."

I blinked, staring after them in disappointment. I had really wanted to spend some time with Lucy.

 _Oh, well,_ I told myself. _If I can't go on a mission with Lucy and Happy, then maybe I can go fishing. Happy will like that._ The thought made me perk up a little. I just needed to figure out where Happy had gone.

"Natsu?" a female voice called, drawing my attention.

I looked over at Levy, who was wearing the biggest smile I'd ever seen on her. Her eyes seemed oddly bright as she stared at me.

"Can you come help me move some books?" she asked sweetly.

I glanced at Gajeel, who was ignoring us. Normally, he would be the one Levy asked for help. But it didn't really matter, so I shrugged and grinned. "Sure thing, Levy!"

"Great!" Levy said, grabbing my arm. "Now, come on!"

* * *

And so it was that I was dragged to Levy's room in the Fairy Hills dormitory. If I'd known why everyone stared after me as I left, I might have disappeared for a month. But I didn't know, and I had a lot of embarrassing moments ahead. Starting with this one.

"Do you know what sex is?"

"Uh, wh-what?" I stammered, staring at Levy, who was sitting in a chair across from me. I had been staring around her book-filled room in curiosity (I'd never been in the girls' dorm before), but now my interest was completely on Levy.

Her glasses were perched on the end of her nose, and there was a slight flush to her cheeks, but she was obviously trying to put on a scholarly air. "Sexual intercourse. Have you learned anything about it?"

I rubbed the back of my neck and looked down, feeling my cheeks turn warm. That was _not_ what I had expected.

Knowing I had to answer, I muttered, "Makarov taught me a little." There had been something about my little dragon and a female's "special hole." I hadn't ventured to ask for details. The conversation had been uncomfortable enough as it was. I had heard bits and pieces in the guild throughout the years, of course, but I had tried my best to ignore all the talk. My nose had given me enough information about who was spending a lot of time together and about which women should be avoided due to the monthly shift in their scent. I hadn't wanted to learn more than I already knew.

"What did he tell you?"

"Umm, I don't really want—"

"Let's just assume he didn't tell you anything," Levy said, pushing her glasses back on her nose. "We don't want to miss something important."

I groaned. I did _not_ want to be having this conversation. "Why do we have to do this?"

"It's necessary if you're ever going to have sex with Lucy."

I fell out of my chair. "What?"

"I know what you think about her."

Sitting up, my face hotter than it had ever been, I said, "She's my friend—"

"So you don't want her to be your mate?"

I looked down at the floor. There was a lump in my throat. "I, err, well, I didn't say that exactly—"

"Natsu," Levy said gently, "we've all seen the way you look at her."

I gave her a sharp look, but I didn't say anything.

"She's precious to you, isn't she?"

I swallowed. I was tempted to simply leave and put the day behind me, but I knew Levy was only trying to help. And so I answered honestly, "Ever since the Future Lucy died, I've known what it was like to lose my partner. Even though my Lucy was still here, it felt like I'd failed her. I never want to feel like that again. I want her to be in my life forever. I . . . I want her to be happy."

"You love her," Levy prompted.

"Umm, yeah. Yeah, I, uh, I guess I do. I think that might be what this feeling is anyway. It's almost like a pain, though, at times. Is that . . . is that what it's supposed to be like?"

Levy smiled. "Love can manifest itself in different ways. I think you _do_ love Lucy. And it's because of your feelings that the guild is going to educate you. You're going to learn about sex, and you're going to learn about how to treat her right when she's your girlfriend."

I paused, staring down at my feet. My cheeks felt hot. "Umm, can we start with that second part first?"

"Yes, Natsu. I think we can."

I wiped my brow in relief.

* * *

If I had known starting with how to treat a girl right meant speaking with Erza, I might have chosen to begin with the sex education instead.

"First," the terrifying redhead said, "you must ask her to be your girlfriend. The most important item will be your outfit. If you wear the same sort of clothes you wear every day, then she will not feel as if you are treating her in the special manner she deserves. Now, do you know what that means?"

"Umm, no?" I responded anxiously. Why were we talking about _clothes_? I thought Lucy liked what I wore just fine.

"That means we have to go shopping."

 _Oh, crap._

* * *

The clothing stores in Magnolia had likely never seen such a flurry of activity before. Erza saw fit to drag me all across the shopping district, to stores and stalls and even a few alleyways where some rather suspicious exchanges were taking place. It was a horrifying experience.

At last, however, the seemingly insatiable Erza was satisfied. Armed with a pair of slacks, a white button-up shirt, a red blazer, a belt with a flame-adorned buckle, and a pair of ridiculously shiny dress shoes, we finally completed our shopping extravaganza. I was grateful that Erza hadn't decided to go with something more complicated—she had been eyeing a male suit of armor with particular fervor, and I had almost attempted to slip away while she was distracted. (Actually, I _had_ attempted to slip away three times, but I hadn't tried very hard. If I had _really_ wanted to get away, I would have done it _ninja_ -style, and there would have been nothing Erza could have done to stop me. Or so I told myself anyway.)

"Now you will be acceptably attired when you ask Lucy to be your girlfriend," Erza proclaimed triumphantly.

"All right," I said, looking down at the bags I held. It didn't seem quite so straightforward to me. "So, how does this work, exactly?"

"It is simple. You treat Lucy like a princess and give her lots of strawberry cake, and if you ever break her heart, then I will destroy you. Do you understand?"

I gulped. "Uh, yeah, I think I understand." I understood that Erza was _not_ the one I wanted to go to for advice. If I spoke with her much longer, I would likely be too terrified to ask Lucy to be my girlfriend. Not that I knew what that meant exactly. I _thought_ it meant there was just lots of kissing involved (why that was so important, I had no idea), but I really wasn't sure. Maybe the next person would be able to help me.

* * *

"Oh, Juvia is so excited that you mean to ask out Love Rival!" the water mage cried out, hearts in her eyes as she clasped her hands together and rocked from side to side with joy.

"Erm, yeah," I said, picking at an invisible piece of lint on my shirt. Sometimes, Juvia could be so _weird_. "So, how exactly do I ask her to be my girlfriend?"

"Juvia knows just what you should do!" She tilted her head, obviously taking a mental trip to Juvialand. "You must choose a romantic restaurant with lots of tablecloths and flowers and a violin playing in the background. There, my darling Gray will get down on one knee and ask Juvia to be his for all time! It will be _so_ romantic!"

"Uh, Juvia, I thought we were talking about me and Lucy?"

"Oh! Juvia is sorry. You must take Love Rival to a romantic restaurant, give her a kiss, ask her to be your girlfriend, and give her lots of presents. She will have no choice but to say yes!" Juvia paused. "But if she says no, let Juvia know immediately . . . so she can take her dear Gray far away from Love Rival."

"Umm, yeah, I'll be sure to let you know."

* * *

"You're making this too complicated," Lisanna told me with a smile. "You just have to wait for the right moment to ask her to be your girlfriend. A nice restaurant like Juvia suggested certainly can't hurt, though."

"All right," I said. I still felt like I was missing something.

"More important is what happens afterward," Lisanna said. "Remember when we used to play house, Natsu? Happy is still a lot like your kid now, isn't he? Just think about when you and Lucy will have lots of little children running around underfoot! They are going to be so adorable! You must let them come stay with their Auntie Lisanna a lot. I'll be sure to spoil them while you and Lucy take a little time to yourselves to _really_ play house, if you know what I mean."

"Eh-heh-heh-heh, yeah," I said, though I really had no idea what she meant.

"What's especially important is that you learn the right way to kiss her. Have you ever _really_ kissed a girl? I mean, _truly_?"

"Erm, no, not _really_ —"

"It's all about the lips and tongues," Lisanna said, ignoring the heat that jumped to my cheeks. I couldn't help but wonder just who she had been kissing that had given her such an intimate knowledge of the activity. "You'll want to caress her lips with yours at first, and when it gets more heated, then you can try to bruise her lips. The same sort of thing goes with your tongue—try to gently trace her lips with it before you actually plunge inside her mouth."

"Uh, Lisanna—"

"And then, as you really feel the passion start to grow, you can bite at her lips and tug at them. Watch your teeth, though, I know they're sharp—"

"Lisanna—"

"And on occasion, you can try to suck on her tongue. Some girls really like that, though I haven't really ever been a fan of it."

"Uh, thanks, Lisanna, but I think you've taught me enough about kissing," I said, giving a nervous laugh. I wasn't sure who I would rather act as my kissing teacher, but for some reason, it sounded rather awkward coming from a girl I used to play house with.

"All right," she said cheerfully. "Now, let's talk about how you can be a good husband to Lucy!"

* * *

"Taking her to a restaurant is the lazy man's choice," Freed said with a disdainful sniff. "What you really need to do is cook her a meal yourself. Steak and asparagus make a good choice for the beginning chef; you can grill both of those, which you should not have much of a problem with due to your affinity for fire. Pair it with garlic bread for a little something extra, and crème brûlée will make the perfect end to your meal."

"Uh, yeah, cooking, sure. I'm really good at that." I wasn't sure I had ever told a worse lie. "But if she had a special restaurant she loved and really wanted to go there, that would be fine, right?"

"I suppose it would be."

"Is there anything special I should know?"

Freed lifted a hand and began ticking off his fingers. "Always open doors for her. Always pull out her chair to help her sit down. Ask her if she would like wine. Order her favorite item off the menu for her. Make sure you have your napkin in your lap. Make sure you use the proper silverware for each course—"

I swallowed. "Umm, should I be taking notes?"

"Yes. Compliment her hair. Compliment her dress. Ask her about herself—"

* * *

"You liiiiiiike Lucy."

"Shut up, Happy. What do you think I should do to make her like _me_?"

"I would give her lots of fish."

"Does that help with Charle?"

Happy looked down sadly. "No." Then he suddenly perked up. "But maybe it will someday!"

I gave my friend a pat on the shoulder. "Yeah, maybe it will, little buddy."

* * *

Charle wasted no time in telling me that this "education" was foolish. "If you want to find out what Lucy likes, you should ask her yourself."

This honestly had not occurred to me. "But she's used to dating all these guys who already know this stuff. What if she gets annoyed with me for not knowing?"

"If she gets annoyed with you that easily, then maybe you are not meant to be after all."

Sometimes, I thought I preferred a scary Erza to a grumpy Charle.

* * *

"Well," Wendy said, looking embarrassed, "I don't know a lot about grown-up stuff like dating, but I do know that massages feel really good!"

"Massages?"

"Yeah, you just massage her shoulders and back whenever she is feeling tense, and that will really help her relax! When my feet hurt, it sometimes helps when those get massaged, too."

"Can you, uh, give me some tips on how to do it?"

"Sure! Just turn around!"

As Wendy began to massage my shoulders, I received an exasperated look from Cana and a glare from Romeo. I didn't know what their problem was, but at least I was going to be able to enjoy this part of my education.

* * *

 **And now for a sneak peak:**

 _And in the quietest voice I had ever heard from him, Gray said: "Ice Make: Penis."_

 _As I stared at the crystalline approximation of a man's "little dragon," I suddenly understood why Gray had pulled me out of the main part of the guild hall and into a storage room to talk._

 _"Unwrap the condom," Gray said, avoiding my eyes._

 _Fingers fumbling, I did as he was told. It was a rubbery ring that had been covered in some sort of liquid, and quite frankly, it looked disgusting. It also felt kind of weird._

 _I frowned down at it. "Are you supposed to eat it?"_

 _"What? EW! NO! Of course not!"_

* * *

 **End of Chapter Note:** If there's a guild member you'd really like to see a snippet of advice from in the next chapter, please let me know. I can't guarantee inclusion, but it can't hurt to ask. Reviews are a writer's lifeblood and are always appreciated. Thanks for your support.

 **Book Rec:** I recommend the _Hunger Games_ trilogy to anyone and everyone. There is some great fanfic out there for it! _When the Moon Fell in Love with the Sun_ is especially fantastic.

 **Anime Rec:** If you haven't seen _Inuyasha_ , what are you waiting for, anyway? Watch it!


	2. Chapter 2

"Now is time for the second half of your education," Levy told me. Her glasses were once more perched on her nose, and she was holding a large book in her hands.

I was feeling particularly relaxed after Wendy's massage, and I was not dreading the next part of my education as much as I had thought I would. I was, however, finding it a little difficult to concentrate on what the bluenette was saying.

"This is your sex education."

 _That_ woke me up. I scratched my head, looking everywhere but at Levy. "All right. Sure. Umm. Okay." Why was this happening to me again?

"This is a picture of a naked man when he is . . . at ease."

Though not comfortable at the notion of looking directly at a naked man, I glanced down at the color picture. "Right." Then I found a spot on the ceiling that looked ridiculously fascinating.

"And this is a picture of a man when he is aroused."

What was _with_ that spot up there anyway? "Uh huh."

"Natsu, I need you to look at the picture."

I grunted and looked down.

Levy's finger was pointing to a particular part of the man's anatomy as she spoke. "When a man is aroused, his penis becomes larger."

"Umm, you mean his little dragon?"

Levy frowned. "His little—? No, I mean—oh, fine! His little dragon becomes bigger and harder when it gets . . . fired up."

I perked up. This was terminology I was more familiar with. "Right."

"That helps the man's little dragon enter the woman," Levy explained. "Now, look over here at this picture of a naked woman. Her breasts are a special erogenous zone."

I frowned as I stared down at the picture. "A what zone?"

"Erogenous. That means it feels good to her when you . . . stimulate it."

"How?"

Levy's cheeks were bright red. "I think the others will further your education on that subject, but things like, umm, licking and pinching and . . . ah, pulling . . . and whatnot." Hastily, she pointed lower on the woman's body. "This is her vagina. That's where your little dragon is supposed to go."

"Oh, that's the woman's special hole?"

"Um, yes. When the . . . little dragon goes in and out of the woman's . . . cave, that creates friction. Eventually, the little dragon releases . . . umm . . . a white fire inside the woman."

"Does it burn her?"

"Ah, no. But this white fire can mix with an unfertilized egg in the woman to create a baby. But to prevent that, you should use protection."

"What kind of protection?"

Levy thrust a handful of thin square-shaped packages at me. "Gray will teach you how to use those. There are also some magical means, but I think maybe you ought to just stick with those. They'll keep your little dragon's fire from reaching Lucy's egg."

I held up one of the packets and sniffed at it. "Is it really all that easy?"

"There's more to it, but you'll hear about it from the others." Levy slammed the book shut and pulled at the neckline of her shirt. "I think I've told you enough for now."

* * *

"I hear the Runt tried to give you a bit of a sex education, Salamander. Now it's time for your real education. Dragons aren't like measly humans. We make things more interesting."

I stared at Gajeel from across the guild hall table. "What do you mean?"

Gajeel grabbed two napkins and crumpled them into crude approximations of a woman and a man. "This here's the girl, and this is the dragon. The girl gets on her hands and knees, and the dragon takes her from behind."

"Takes her from behind?" I echoed.

Gajeel grunted and took the napkin-man, furrowing his brow as he created a "little dragon." He then placed the napkin-man behind the napkin-woman and made a few thrusting motions. "The dragon holds onto the girl's hips and goes in between her legs. Dig into her flesh a little, and don't be afraid to be rough. And when you're just about to let everything loose, you dig your fangs into her neck and mark her. The dragon in you should take over at that point."

"Let everything loose . . . ?"

"And remember," Gajeel said, ignoring my request for clarification, "a dragon can only have one mate. If you do this with Lucy, she's going to be your mate for life. So you had better make sure she knows that. And you better be certain that she's the one _you_ want."

I frowned. "You seem to know a lot about this, Gajeel. Do you have a mate?"

"And another thing," Gajeel said, once more ignoring me, "don't be afraid to use your fangs. She'll like it when you drag your teeth across her skin and nip at her tits. And we dragons have strong tongues, so be sure to use yours."

"Use it . . . how?"

"Levy!" Gajeel cried out suddenly, his gaze caught across the room. "Stupid girl."

And as Gajeel rushed away to help Levy, who had somehow become buried beneath a mountain of books, I was left behind scratching my head. "What exactly am I supposed to do with my tongue?"

* * *

"I'm going to tell you this once," Laxus said in a low voice. He was avoiding looking at me. "It's all about the breasts."

"The breasts?" My mind immediately brought up a picture of Lucy's great globes, and I found myself swallowing. Though I had never told anyone before, I'd always found it fascinating whenever they bounced up and down while she was running. But I didn't know exactly what Laxus was talking about.

"Yes, the breasts," Laxus said. "You lick them, pinch them, bite them. Tease her at first, moving your tongue all around her breast except right where she wants you."

 _So that's what you do with the tongue!_ I thought with some relief. The idea of licking Lucy's breasts caused my breath to catch in my throat, and my voice was slightly hoarse as I asked, "And where does she want me?"

"Her nipples, Natsu. She wants you to suck on them with the ferocity of a newborn tiger. Treat her right the first time, paying intimate intention to her breasts, and she'll never want another man. Which is good, as you'll never be able to have another woman."

 _A newborn tiger?_ I mused to myself. I wasn't quite sure what the connection was there, but I would have to take Laxus's word for it.

* * *

"Natsu!" Nab called. He was standing over near the message board and gesturing wildly.

I walked over to him. "You finally find a job you want?"

"Um, no," he said, looking at the guild board. "I can't decide."

"What were you wanting them?"

"I wanted to give you some advice. I heard everyone else was."

"All right," I said slowly. I wasn't sure what he would tell me, but I was willing to listen. "What do you think I should do?"

"Ithinkyoushouldlickherear," he said in a rush.

"Huh?" I said.

"Ithinkyoushouldlickherear," he said again, flushing.

I tried to think about what he was saying. "I should lick Lucy's rear?"

"No!" he exclaimed. "Wait. Maybe? I don't know. She might like that."

"Would she or wouldn't she?"

"Ah, I don't really know. She might. But then again, she might not."

I stared at Nab.

"I'm going to go back to looking at the guild board," he said, turning away from me.

I merely blinked.

* * *

"Natsu, come over here," Macao said, gesturing me over. He and Wakaba were standing to the side together, trying to look innocent.

"What is it?" I asked warily as I approached.

"We got something for you," Wakaba said with a sideways grin. After glancing around, he held out a silver bracelet with a heart-shaped charm on it.

I wrinkled my nose. I didn't like how it smelled. "What's that?"

"A love charm," Macao said. "Some guy named Bora was selling them."

"I bet if you use this, Lucy's clothes will just fall off by themselves," Wakaba said with a leer.

"What does a love charm have to do with Lucy's clothes?" I asked with a frown. But my question was ignored.

"She might even let you do anal," Wakaba said.

"I didn't even think about that," Macao said eagerly. He scratched his chin.

"What are you talking about?" I asked in frustration.

"Anal is when you stick your dick into somebody's ass," Wakaba said. "Most girls don't like it, but there are some . . ."

Before I could ask for more of an explanation, Mirajane appeared beside us. "What are you doing?" she asked sweetly.

The love charm immediately disappeared."Nothing," Macao and Wakaba chimed together.

"That's good," Mirajane said, "because if I were to hear that you were encouraging Natsu to use a _love charm_ on Lucy, I would be _severely displeased_."

"We weren't doing anything!" Macao said, waving his hands. "We were just telling Natsu to keep up the good work!"

And then he and Wakaba both made themselves scarce.

I was left there tilting my head. Why would someone want to stick something in someone else's butt anyway?

* * *

When Evergreen stomped over with Bickslow tagging along behind her, I looked at both skeptically. I doubted either one could tell me anything helpful.

Evergreen snapped, "Lucy would be better off without a man like you. But if you insist upon interjecting yourself into her life, all you need to know is that you need to do everything she tells you. You got it?"

"Uh, sure," I said, scratching my head. No way would I do everything Lucy told me, but I wasn't about to tell Evergreen that.

"And if she tells you to suck on her toes, you'd better do it!" Evergreen proclaimed. And then she left in a huff.

The mental image of me sucking on Lucy's toes wasn't as weird as I would have thought. In fact, I kind of liked the idea of enveloping first one little toe and then another in my mouth, drawing my tongue along the underside. My little dragon was starting to get excited just thinking about it.

But there was something else to tend to instead of my fantasies, and so I looked to Bickslow expectantly.

"Make lots of babies!" he proclaimed.

"Babies! Babies!" his dolls echoed.

That advice wasn't half-bad, actually. I liked the thought of mini-Natsus and mini-Lucys running around. Maybe we'd have a couple of little girls with my hair and her eyes. The thought made me smile.

"Thanks, Bickslow!" I said with a grin. "I think I'd like that!"

* * *

"Sweating is manly!" Elfman told me in a surprisingly quiet voice as he glanced around the guild hall, as if to make sure no one could hear him. "You go as hard as you can, and she'll be so impressed she'll be begging for more."

"I thought girls didn't like sweat?" I said suspiciously. I was beginning to wonder about the sanity of some of my "teachers."

"They usually don't," Elfman said. "But in bed, all the rules change."

I was even more skeptical upon hearing that, but I was soon forced to reevaluate everything I thought I knew.

* * *

"Talk dirty."

"Huh?" I said, blinking at Bisca.

"In front of other people, girls don't like it when guys have a potty mouth. They want you to respect them. But when you're alone, a girl likes being ruled over from time to time. Remove your filter. Call her a naughty girl. Tell her to suck on your dick. Ask her if she likes it when you pound into her from behind. Tell her you love it when you get to eat her pussy. Tell her you want to spew your load all over her face and watch her lick your hot juices off her lips."

I watched the normally sweet and contained Bisca with wide eyes as she went on and on about dirty phrases I could try out on Lucy. The more she spoke, the more determined I became to avoid Alzack at all costs.

* * *

"I know the idea of acting cool and collected is beyond you, Flame-Brain, but listen up."

"Now, listen here, you frozen—"

"Try gently rubbing her arms, her hips, her sides. Take control of that tendency toward fire and move slow. Gently tug at the bottom of her shirt so she knows what you're doing, and if she gives you the go-ahead, then slowly raise it up over her head. Start with her stomach and kiss up her body, all the while smoothly touching every bare surface available to you."

I listened, slack-jawed, as my rival continued to give me instructions.

"You have to cherish Lucy. Because if you don't, Erza and I will find you and crush you into a million pieces."

That was more like Gray. "Like hell you will!" I proclaimed. "I'll—"

"Natsu," Gray said, his face somber.

I looked away. "Yeah, all right. Don't worry, Gray. I don't have any intention of hurting Lucy."

"Good. Because you'll be in for a world of pain if you do anything you shouldn't. And on that note, you'd better not get Lucy pregnant. Not unless she wants you to anyway. Now, Levy gave you condoms, right?"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small square package. "You mean this, right?"

Gray grimaced. "Yeah. Now, I'm going to show you how to use one, and if you breathe a word of this to anyone, you're dead. You got it?"

"Uh, okay, sure."

And in the quietest voice I had ever heard from him, Gray said: "Ice Make: Penis."

As I stared at the crystalline approximation of a man's "little dragon," I suddenly understood why Gray had pulled me out of the main part of the guild hall and into a storage room to talk.

"Unwrap the condom," Gray said, avoiding my eyes.

Fingers fumbling, I did as he was told. It was a rubbery ring that had been covered in some sort of liquid, and quite frankly, it looked disgusting. It also felt kind of weird.

I frowned down at it. "Are you supposed to eat it?"

" _What_? _EW_! _NO_! Of course not!"

"Then what do you do with it?" I asked, sniffing it. I instantly made a face. The thing smelled awful.

"You put it on over your . . . you know." Gray gestured to his newest ice sculpture.

I gave the condom a skeptical look. "And how's that supposed to help?"

"It keeps your, umm, your stuff inside. So it doesn't go into the girl and get her pregnant."

"My stuff?" I echoed, squinting. "Oh! You mean my white fire?"

"Your white . . .?" Gray asked in confusion. And then a look of comprehension crossed his face, and he began muttering something about idiotic dragon slayers.

"So how does this keep my white fire from going into Lu—erm, a girl?" I asked, my cheeks warming.

Gray reached out and took the condom. "You pinch it like this, see? And then you roll it on."

I watched in interest as Gray rolled the condom down the shaft of ice. "Oh, it gets bigger than it looks," I said in comprehension.

"It's not the only thing," Gray muttered. "Now, do you get it, you idiot?"

"Sure do, Ice Princess," I said, punching a hand into my palm as Gray led the way out of the storage room and into the guild hall. "You ready for a fight now?"

"You couldn't handle what I have for you," Gray returned.

A voice came from behind the dragon slayer. "Hey, Natsu—"

"ALZACK!" I shouted, my face turning purple. Then I promptly ran away, leaving Alzack standing there and scratching his head.

* * *

"You have a beautiful world ahead of you," Makarov said, wiping a tear from his eyes. "There is nothing that can hold a candle to the feeling of caressing the luscious rear of an attractive woman."

"Um, what?"

"A lady's behind is her greatest asset, Natsu," Makarov said in exasperation. "You should immediately rub those two bounteous globes whenever you finally receive permission."

"Her, umm, chest?" I asked hoarsely. For some reason, my body started to get fired up whenever I thought about Lucy's breasts. I wondered if maybe this was part of what everyone was trying to teach me.

"Not those globes," Makarov snapped. Then he tilted his head as he reconsidered. "Well, you should rub those ripe melons, too, but that's not what I'm talking about right now. What I'm focused on is the tender curved flesh of Lucy's hind end."

"I don't think I like you focusing on Lucy's behind," I said, narrowing my eyes. Just the thought of him doing that set my blood to boiling. "You haven't touched her there before now, have you, Gramps?"

"That's not what's important right now. What's important is that you pay attention to the lesson I'm giving you."

"I don't think women actually like it when women touch their butts, Gramps."

"That's not the point! You will be depriving yourself if you do not engage in such a pleasure!"

"All right," I said. "Now, I need to go back and find Gray—"

"Can't teach an idiot new tricks," Makarov grumbled as I left him. "I should've known better."

* * *

Unfortunately, I was taken aside by Gildarts before I could start a fight with Gray.

"What I've got to teach you is very important here, kid," Gildarts said out of the side of his mouth. "Most boys your age wouldn't need this kind of education, but I'm gonna give it to you anyway since you probably haven't learned it on your own."

"Why are you talking out of the side of your mouth?" I asked.

"Because I think Mirajane might pound me aside the head if she realizes what I'm _actually_ trying to teach you," Gildarts answered, still speaking in a sideways fashion.

"Fine," I said, mimicking the other man's way of speaking. "What do you want to teach me?"

"I'm going to teach you the art of . . . masturbation."

"What?"

"I'm going to teach you what a man can do to please himself."

"Um . . ."

"Surely you have, you know, _done it_ before, Natsu," Gildarts said, scratching the back of his head uncomfortably. "You know, polish the old rod, grease the good pole . . . yank on the magic staff?"

"Are you talking about my little dragon?"

"Your little . . . ?"

"Ahem," I said, gesturing toward my crotch, "you know."

"Oh, uh, yeah. Your . . . little dragon . . . thing. Have you played with it before?"

"Played with it?"

Gildarts squeezed his eyes shut. "Damn it. I didn't think about how difficult this was going to be." He turned his head and yelled, "Hey, Mirajane!"

Everyone was giving Gildarts and me a wide berth in the guild hall, but Mirajane came over when called. "Yes?" she asked.

"You got a . . . _hem . . ._ banana?"

"A banana?" she repeated, her brow furrowed. "What f—oh!"

"Yeah, 'oh,'" Gildarts muttered.

"Yes, I'll . . . go get you one."

I watched the young woman scurry away. "I'm not really sure what eating has to do with anything," I said at last with some confusion.

Gildarts hit his palm against his head. "That's not what we're doing here."

"Then why a banana?"

At that point, Mirajane had reappeared with the fruit in hand. Rather than hand it directly to Gildarts, however, she simply sat it on the table in front of me and said, "Use it wisely." And then she walked away once more.

I took the banana in hand and lifted it up from the table. After gazing at it for a few seconds, I turned my attention to Gildarts. "Now what?"

The other man's face was unusually red. "Now, uh, hold it at the bottom with one hand."

"All right."

"And now, uh," Gildarts paused, his face turning even redder, "now you slide your— _ahem_ —your hand up and down."

"Like this?" I said as I began to pump my hand up and down over the banana. It felt pretty weird to be doing that.

"Yeah, like that," Gildarts said, looking at the ceiling and avoiding gazing directly at me. "Now, uh, you just pretend that's your c—your, uh, little dragon, and if you want to, ah, jingle your strawberries a little bit, you can do that, too."

"My strawberries?"

Gildarts sighed and hid his face in his hand. "Your balls, Natsu."

"Oh, you mean—"

"Yes! I swear, kid, you're about as dense as—ugh, whatever. Anyway, the stroking part's pretty easy. You can also try rubbing a finger over the tip and maybe pinching or pulling a little."

"Pinching or pulling—"

"And this really is the easiest thing in the world. You just do what feels good. Ladies like to see a man who knows what he wants, and I bet your Lucy wouldn't mind seeing you playing with yourself. I bet it would turn her on."

"She's not _my_ Lucy," I murmured. Even if I _did_ want her to be.

"Whatever. Anyway, a man never needs to forget his own pleasure." Gildarts reached out and grabbed the banana from me, peeling it down three-quarters of the way and then stuffing half of it in his mouth. "Mmmm."

"Uh, Gildarts?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you eating my little dragon like that?"

Gildarts instantly withdrew the banana from his mouth, a look of disgust on his face. "Whaddaya mean, eating your little dragon, Natsu? I'm just eating a banana."

"But I was trying to play with myself," I said grumpily.

The disgust on his face was unmistakable now. "This wasn't really your little dragon. It's just a fruit."

"But I wanted to pinch the tip," I whined. "I wanted to see if something would squeeze out."

"I'm pretty sure I just lost my appetite. Thanks, Natsu."

"You're welcome, I guess. But seriously, can you give me that back?"

* * *

"This is a conversation between men," Pantherlily said without preamble.

"All right," I said, deepening my voice.

"Men should not share their exploits with others. But certain lessons must be passed on."

"You aren't going to talk about my little dragon, are you?" I asked warily.

"Your nose can be your ally," Pantherlily continued, as if I had never spoken. "You can use it to guide you."

"And how do I do that?"

"When a woman is . . . aroused, she will emit a certain scent."

"What kind of scent?"

"You will know it when you smell it," the Exceed said.

"Does it smell good?" I asked, squinting.

"Like the finest ambrosia," Pantherlily said quietly. "Your mate will give you cues. You only need to follow them."

"That's . . . actually kind of helpful," I said, surprised. "Thanks."

"Indeed."

* * *

"Hey, Natsu—"

" _ALZACK!_ " I shouted. And then I went and hid under a table.

Alzack was left scratching his head once more. "Why does he keep running away from me?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea," Bisca said with a slight smile. "It could be anything."

* * *

"I will only tell you this once. Break Lucy's heart, and I will break you."

I shrank away from Mirajane. "Uh, you're starting to sound like Erza."

"Good," Mirajane said, her eyes glowing red as her hair floated up around her head in a demonic halo. "There's a lot riding on this. You need to be sure about it. Lucy cares for you a lot, and if you do anything to break her trust—"

"Look, I'd never hurt Lucy, all right?" I growled. "I don't know why everyone's so worried about her." It offended me that they could ever think that.

"It's because you're a little naïve, Natsu," Mirajane said gently. "We want to make sure you know what this is all about."

"I know, all right? I _know_."

"Good," Mirajane said. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear."

I intended to walk away, but she reached out and put a hand on me. "One more thing, Natsu."

"Yeah?"

"I think Lucy's a virgin. And if she is, well . . . it usually hurts the first time for girls."

"What do you mean?" I asked with a frown.

"Most virgin girls have a piece of flesh called their 'maidenhead.' The first time she and a guy are together, the guy breaks through the flesh guarding her entrance. Sometimes, there's blood."

I swallowed. "Blood? I don't want to hurt Lucy."

"It will hopefully just be a quick and sharp pain, and then it'll be over. That's just part of it. I thought you should know so you don't think there's anything wrong."

"Thanks, Mirajane," I mumbled. I didn't quite fully understand what she meant, but I hated the idea of causing Lucy pain. Still, if anyone could withstand pain with a smile, it was my Lucy.

* * *

"This is the most important education you'll get yet, Natsu."

I looked at Cana warily. "Oh, yeah?" She was one of the ones I really feared talking to.

"I'm going to teach you about pleasing a woman."

"Pleasing a woman?"

"Yes. I'm going to get down to the nitty gritty here. It's all about a woman's vagina."

"Her v—you mean, her cave?" I asked. "The one my little dragon's supposed to go into?" I tried to picture my little dragon going into Lucy's cave, but I was having some troubles with visualization. I had seen brief glimpses of Lucy naked before, but I hadn't ever paid much attention to what she looked like _there_. Especially since there was supposed to be some sort of "maidenhead" there—whatever _that_ meant. I had a picture of a little tiny Lucy head in front of a hole, but somehow, I figured that wasn't really what it would be like.

Cana paused. "Uh, yeah, the area surrounding her . . . cave. But before you start thinking about your dick, you need to think about Lucy's . . . cave."

"What about it?"

"Well, before you go into the cave, you have to pay some attention to the outside. A woman has pink folds—almost like the inside of a wrinkled fruit."

"All right," I said. Really, I had no idea what she meant.

"At the top of her folds—you know, between her legs—there's a little lump. It's almost like a button of sorts. That's the hot spot."

"It gets hot?"

"No," Cana said. "Well, yes—well—Natsu, you're missing the point! What you need to do is lavish that area in attention."

"What kind of attention?" I asked.

"You need to rub it in circles, varying the speed. Listen to the little noises that Lucy makes. She'll give you your clues. And lick it, swirling your tongue around. Moisture and heat are great—blow on it a little if you'd like. And while you're doing that, stick a finger or two inside her _cave_ and pump it in and out."

"At the same time?"

"Yep. The thing is, Natsu, a woman usually can't reach orgasm unless you're stimulating her in more than one spot. Breasts, vagina, clit—all great places for doing that."

"Clit?"

"The magic button. I can't stress that one enough. If you want Lucy whimpering and whining beneath you—or on top of you, if that's what you dig—then that is how you have to play it. And you _better_ make sure that she reaches her pleasure peak first before you seek out yours. A guy's easy. The girl is the one that needs the work."

"So I, uh, lick and stuff?" I asked. I was starting to feel hot around my neck.

"Yep. It's not really that complicated. Just don't be too rough—unless, of course, that's something Lucy's into."

* * *

"You need to be rough with Princess."

"Uh, what?" I asked, blinking.

Virgo had appeared moments before to offer her own advice, and I was staring at her in a kind of stupor. It was weird how Virgo could just appear without being called.

"Princess needs a man to be a little rough with her. She needs a man who will take charge and command her to do what he wants."

I scratched my head. "Have you been talking to Bisca?"

The Celestial Spirit simply blinked at me for a moment. "You should tie her to the bed. Princess might even like to be gagged."

"Uh, gagged?"

"But perhaps you should wait for that one," Virgo amended. "You must build up trust first."

"I, uh, thought Lucy already trusted me?"

"Trust in bed is different," Virgo said. "You should ask her if she'd like to be whipped."

" _Whipped_?" I asked, goggle-eyed.

"Some people enjoy that," Virgo said solemnly. "But perhaps what Princess would like most of all is to be spanked."

"I'm completely lost. I thought you were supposed to spank little kids."

"Sometimes," Virgo said sagely, "a woman likes a man to serve as her master. Sometimes she likes to be a slave to his whims. And if he wants her to be in pain, then she will be pleased to please him."

"I, uh, I don't understand?"

Virgo studied him for a moment. "Or perhaps you would like to be the slave. Would you like to kneel before Princess and do whatever she desires?"

A protest was on my lips—why would I want something like that?—and then a mental image appeared in my brain. I thought of Lucy and I both naked, with me on my knees before her while she placed a hand under my chin and forced me to look up at her. Could there be something to this? I had to admit I didn't exactly hate the thought of doing whatever Lucy commanded me.

I swallowed. "I'll, uh, keep it in mind."

"Good. Princess makes a very good mistress. You will enjoy being her slave. Punishment makes the reward feel all the more pleasurable once it is received."

"Umm, I'm sure it does."

* * *

The final step in my education came from Loke. I wasn't exactly thrilled to be speaking with that perverted lion about Lucy, but when it was his turn, he looked at me with surprising seriousness.

"You love Lucy, don't you?" he asked.

"Maybe," I mumbled, looking down at my hands. "I don't really know what that is exactly, but I think I do. I know that when Lucy's sad, I'm sad. And when she's happy, I'm happy. And I'd do anything for her."

"You'd give your life for her?" Loke prompted.

"Duh," I told him, eyes narrowing. I felt insulted that he'd had to ask. "I'd do anything to keep people from hurting her. And that includes giving up my own life."

"That's your big heart speaking," Loke said with a knowing smile. "You need to let your heart—and your love—guide you with Lucy. Everything you've been taught by your friends is all good and well, but what you really need to do is let the moment guide you. You're going to do stupid things. You're going to make dumb mistakes—"

"Hey—"

"—but Lucy will forgive you anything. She'll be right there with you. And once you take the first few steps, she's not going to be afraid to tell you what she wants."

"What she wants . . . ?"

"In life and in bed," Loke said with a knowing grin. "I have the feeling she'll be insatiable once you get her going."

"I don't want you thinking about Lucy like that," I growled.

Loke laughed. "Don't worry. She only has eyes for you."

"She . . . she does?" I asked insecurely.

"Haven't you ever seen the way her eyes light up when they fall on you? Trust me, Natsu—she wants you just as badly as you want her."

"You really think so?" I asked. I hated the slight squeak in my voice.

Fortunately, Loke didn't comment on it. "I do. Now, with all this talk of sex, you probably think we all want you to just jump in bed with Lucy as soon as you can. But that's not really the case. You don't need to do that until you're both ready. You need to work on building your relationship first. You understand?"

I grinned at him, my canines poking out over my bottom lip. "Yeah, I understand."

"Now, you can either ask her to just go with you on a date, which is non-exclusive, or you can ask her to be your girlfriend. But even if she's your girlfriend, you still have to go on dates."

"Uh, I'm not sure I understand," I said, scratching at my neck.

"A girl can date a bunch of guys if she isn't in a steady relationship. But if she's a guy's girlfriend, then she can only date him."

The idea of another man having his paws on Lucy made fire flare up within my chest. "I want Lucy to be my girlfriend."

"Then you have to ask her. And you have to ask her on a date as well. She'll be receptive. Just trust me. She _does_ like you a lot, Natsu."

* * *

 **And now for a sneak peak:**

 _I thought of everything I had been taught, and for some reason, what Bisca and Virgo had told me came to me. My grin grew larger, and I deepened my voice as I slowly moved closer to Lucy. As I moved, she backed up into the bar._

 _"Oh, Lucy," I said with a chuckle. "I know just what it means when a guy has a girlfriend." By this time, I had trapped her against the bar. I felt like a predator. Like a dragon. The thought only made my blood boil more._

 _"Oh, yeah?" Lucy asked, her voice a mere squeak. Her cheeks had turned bright red._

 _"Mmhmm," I purred, my hands coming up to pin her in as I leaned forward. "I do."_

* * *

 **End of Chapter Note** : Thanks for the reviews, folks, and thanks for offering forth some ideas. I've incorporated some of them, and I hope you enjoyed them. As always, reviews are much appreciated.

 **Book Rec:** _On Wings of Air._ If you're a fan of fantasy and elemental powers, this one should be right up your alley. It's the first book of a trilogy and is relatively new, so the other books aren't out as of yet.

 **Anime Rec:** _Ouran High School Host Club_ is hilarious and sweet. It is very character-focused, which is always one of the most important elements to me in a story.

 **Bonus "Anime" Rec:** Not sure you can really call this anime since it's American-made, so I'm doing this one as a bonus. _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ is a great series. There are a few things I would've done differently, but that is what fanfiction is for!


	3. Chapter 3

In spite of my pep talk from Loke, when it came to actually making the first step with Lucy the next day, I found it much harder than I expected.

I began: "Hey, Lucy. Are you hungry?"

"Nah," Lucy said. "I already ate breakfast."

"Oh," I said. I had eaten breakfast, too, actually. But I could have eaten again.

"I picked out a job for us to do," Lucy said. "Fortunately for you, it doesn't involve any trains."

"Oh, yeah?" I said. Instead of feeling relief, I felt disappointment. I really wanted to dive into this whole dating thing.

"Yeah, it's right here in Magnolia. Let's grab Happy, and then we can get to it."

"All right."

* * *

The next day, I was more prepared.

"Hey, Lucy, do you want to go eat at that new restaurant tonight?"

"New restaurant?" Lucy repeated with a frown as she turned to face me. She had been standing at the bar and talking to Mirajane, who suddenly chose to make herself scarce. (In truth, I knew Mirajane was merely crouching behind the bar and listening with all she had.)

Lucy's forehead did this cute little wrinkle thing as she thought. "Oh! You mean that new fancy one right by the canal?"

"Yeah, I thought you might like their food," I said, scratching the back of my neck.

"I don't know, Natsu. I think it's kind of pricey, and I'm a little tight on money right now. I have to pay my rent soon."

"You aren't going to pay. I'm going to pay."

I could see the confusion in her eyes as she stared at me. "What do you mean?"

I crossed my arms and looked away. "I wanna take you on a date."

"A what?"

I couldn't bring myself to look at her as I said grumpily, "A date. I thought you knew what that was, Lucy."

"I _do_ know what that means!" she said, sounding huffy. "I just don't think _you_ know what that means."

I took in a deep breath and flashed her a grin. "If you don't believe me, then how about this: I want you to be my girlfriend, Lucy."

For perhaps a solid minute, she remained frozen in place, staring stupidly at me. Finally, she brought herself to speak: "Now, I _really_ don't think you know what that means."

I thought of everything I had been taught, and for some reason, what Bisca and Virgo had told me came to me. My grin grew larger, and I deepened my voice as I slowly moved closer to Lucy. As I moved, she backed up into the bar.

"Oh, Lucy," I said with a chuckle. "I know just what it means when a guy has a girlfriend." By this time, I had trapped her against the bar. I felt like a predator. Like a _dragon_. The thought only made my blood boil more.

"Oh, yeah?" Lucy asked, her voice a mere squeak. Her cheeks had turned bright red.

"Mmhmm," I purred, my hands coming up to pin her in as I leaned forward. "I do."

"And what does it mean?" Lucy asked, swallowing.

I felt the urge to lean forward and sniff her neck. Instead, I brought my mouth up to her ear, my warm breath ghosting across her skin. "It means I'm going to take you out on a date whenever I want. It means you're going to stop flirting with guys, no matter how good-looking. And it means I don't ever want another guy touching you without my permission."

"T-touching?" Lucy stammered.

I could feel her trembling, and I smiled, though she could not see it. "Yes, touching. I don't want anyone else touching what's mine. And that's what you are, Lucy—mine. The only touch you are going to have is mine." Though my voice was all confidence, it was with great hesitation that I reached up my right hand to gently caress the bare flesh of her arm. "Now, will you be my girlfriend, Lucy?"

"Umm, y-yeah, I guess."

I pulled back and beamed at her. "Great, Lucy! Then I'll meet you at your place tonight at six, all right?"

She blinked stupidly at me. "All right?"

"Now, where's that stupid ice princess? I need to give him a good pounding!"

* * *

When I found Gray, I didn't actually give him a pounding. Instead, I yanked him down to hide underneath a table.

"What the hell are you doing, Natsu?" he demanded.

"I need help," I growled. My cheeks felt warm with embarrassment. I didn't like asking him for _anything_ , but I was desperate.

He sighed. "Does this have to do with Lucy?"

"Gray, your shirt."

"Damn it!" he swore, scrambling to put his shirt back on.

Once he had succeeded, I told him, "Yes, it does."

"What is it, Flame-Brain?"

"I need to know . . . what's most important."

"Huh?"

I looked away from him. "Everybody has given me a lot of tips, but I don't know if I can remember it all. So, what's most important?"

Gray sighed. "Just do whatever feels right. See what she's receptive to."

"But where should I start?" I pressed. "You know, after the restaurant?"

"You're making this too complicated, Fire-Breath. Just start with a kiss. Everything else should fall in line from there."

I thought back to Lisanna's tips on kissing. I didn't really get it, but I knew that when it counted, Gray would shoot straight with me. Not that I would ever mention that to the ice-loving stripper.

"All right," I said slowly.

"Now, pull me under a table with you again, and I'll freeze your butt so fast you won't be able to sit for days."

"Not if I melt your stupid hair off first," I retorted. And then we somehow blasted away the table we were hiding under and got caught up in a brawl.

* * *

That night, I stood in front of Lucy's door. I was dressed in the outfit I had bought on my shopping trip with Erza—though I still wore my scarf instead of a tie—and held a bouquet of flowers. Freed had recommended buying a dozen roses, but I had chosen a bouquet that was mostly some white flowers with a few red roses tucked in with them instead. Buying a fancy bundle that only contained roses reminded me of Lucy's old life for some reason. That wasn't _her_.

But as I stood there, hand up and ready to knock on the door, I began to second-guess myself. What if Lucy didn't like what I bought her? What if it would have been best to just go with what Freed recommended?

I considered dropping the flowers there and going back for more. But then I realized that would mean I would be _late_ for my date, and Lucy wouldn't like that. So I finally knocked.

Something that sounded suspiciously like "Eep!" reached my ears before I heard Lucy shout, "Come in! The door's unlocked! I'll just be a minute!"

I wondered what was the point of me coming to the door with flowers when Lucy wasn't going to see me with them anyway. I could have just used the window like normal. It would have been way easier.

Sighing, I pushed open the door and walked in. "You know, Lucy, you shouldn't just leave your door unlocked. Some creep could sneak into your apartment."

"Says the guy who sneaks into my apartment all the time!" Lucy shouted from the bathroom.

"If you want me to leave and come back, I can," I offered. There might still be time to buy some new flowers from a street vendor.

"I just had to do a few finishing touches!" Lucy growled, shoving open the bathroom door. She came barreling out, looking annoyed, only to stop dead in her tracks when she saw me. "Oh."

"Oh," I said back. I could feel the back of my neck heat up, and I wondered if my scarf was burning it.

Lucy was wearing a tight black dress that nearly reached her knees and showed ample cleavage. Her hair had been curled and pulled up, and her glittering jewelry only served to add to the magic vision that was Lucy Heartfilia. It was almost like she was _glowing_ , though that could have just been my imagination.

Thinking back to my lessons, I croaked, "You really look nice, Lucy."

She seemed surprised by the compliment, and her cheeks blushed red. "Thanks, Natsu. You look nice, too."

Her eyes then moved to the flowers. "Daisies!" she exclaimed, sounding delighted. "Thank you! Those are my favorites!"

I could feel the smile that spread across my face as she took them from me. Maybe I knew Lucy better than I had thought. "They made me think of you," I told her honestly.

She grinned at me, her cheeks flushing again, and she darted forward to give me a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

"Weirdo," I murmured affectionately, though she didn't seem to hear me.

As I watched her move to put the flowers in a vase, I shifted in place. My feelings for this young woman swelled in my chest, and all I wanted to do was pull her into a hug. But I was trying so hard to do everything right, so when Lucy came back to join me, I merely held out my arm for her to take and said, "Let's go."

* * *

The dinner, unfortunately, was a disaster. All it took was one tipsy and perverted old man groping Lucy's butt to lead me to make the entire restaurant descend into a brawl. To be fair, it wasn't _my_ fault that the old man ducked my punch, making me hit one of the waiters instead. And it wasn't _my_ fault that the flaming dessert he was carrying toppled off his tray and set a tablecloth on fire. And it wasn't _my_ fault that the owner of the restaurant didn't appreciate it when I caused mass-panic by shoving people aside and inhaling all of the flames so they wouldn't spread any further. Yeah, okay, maybe a little of that in there was just a _tiny_ bit my fault, but really, Lucy was blowing everything way out of proportion!

As we walked back to her apartment, she fumed the entire way. When I pointed out that at least we had been able to eat and had been kicked out before paying, Lucy only threw me a glare.

When we reached her apartment, Lucy opened the door and stomped inside. She didn't bother trying to keep me from coming in with her; she only flopped down on her couch, kicking off her black high-heels and crossing her arms in irritation.

I shut the door and walked over, sitting beside her. "I'm really sorry, Lucy."

The anger on her face fled as she gazed at me in surprise. "Did you just . . . apologize?"

I looked away. "I really wanted everything to be perfect for you tonight, Lucy. It didn't go like I planned."

Her face softened. "Well, that pervy old man's face _did_ make a funny expression when you landed a punch on him."

I took off my blazer and threw it on the floor. Then I rolled up my shirt-sleeves and slammed my head against the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling. "I'm no good at this dating thing, Lucy."

"I think you're trying too hard, Natsu," she said softly. "The only thing I've ever wanted you to be is yourself."

I lifted my head off the back of the couch and looked over at Lucy. Her eyes were glimmering with emotion. I smiled at her and lifted a hand to her soft cheek. "You're too good for me, Lucy."

"Oh, shut up, stupid," she said, reaching up to place her hand over mine. "I don't want my boyfriend saying things like that."

My lips parted in a toothy grin at that. "You know, Lucy, that's right. I _am_ your boyfriend."

"Yeah, so?"

One smooth move had me suddenly straddling her, my knees pinning her legs together, my hands on both sides of her head against the couch. There was a shift in her scent, and it brought a slight smile to my face as I realized that it was a good thing. _Thank you, Pantherlily._

"That means there are certain perks I expect to take advantage of," I told her.

"Perks?" Lucy asked nervously.

I could hear her breath catch in her throat.

"Mmmhmm," I rumbled, moving my head forward. My lips hovered just above hers, and I could feel her breath puff out against me.

"Like . . . like what?"

"Like this," I murmured. Then I closed that last inch and pressed my lips to hers.

I had never kissed anyone before—not a real kiss anyway. I had gathered that it was important, and it was something I had vaguely imagined I wanted to do with Lucy as a result, but it had always seemed sort of weird to me. Why would touching your lips together with someone else's be such a necessary part of having a relationship? I just hadn't understood. Even when Gray recommended starting with a kiss, I didn't get it.

But as my lips met with hers, I realized how sensitive that part of the skin was. And I realized how intimate it was to have this part of myself—the part where words and flames exited my body to make their mark on the world—joined with that part of Lucy. And when the tip of my tongue—almost accidentally—brushed against Lucy's mouth, drawing a small moan from her, it felt like fire had begun to stream through my veins.

I began trying to kiss her deeper, thinking of what Lisanna had said, experimenting with pressure and intensity. I traced my tongue across the seam of Lucy's lips, and they parted. I invaded that heated opening, my tongue colliding with hers, seeking a warm joining that only stoked the fire growing in my belly.

Lucy's hands made their way onto my chest, rubbing up and down. Suddenly hot in a way no flames had ever made me, I began to fumble with my shirt, all the while trying not to separate from Lucy.

Her hands began helping me with the buttons, and between the two of us, we managed to get all the buttons undone. I hurried to remove the constricting fabric, flinging it on the floor behind me. And then Lucy's hands were roaming up and down the bare skin of my chest, causing little wildfires of sensation to spring up all across my flesh.

"Lucy," I groaned against her mouth. My pants had become almost unbearably tight, and I thrust against her in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure. It was an instinctive movement, but it felt _so right_. And _so good_. But it just wasn't _enough._

Lucy gasped and pushed me away, and I scrambled off her to stand in front of the couch, breathing heavily and feeling more confused than I ever had in my life. "Lucy?" I murmured.

She met my eyes briefly before standing. She reached behind her and unzipped her dress. Then she ever-so-slowly began to peel it off her body.

I felt my jaw slacken as Lucy's body was revealed to me. I had seen her naked before—had _felt_ her naked before, mostly on accident—but this was entirely different. She was revealing herself to me on _purpose_ , and I was actually allowed to look without fear of being kicked into the next month.

Lucy, like me, was breathless, and her large breasts heaved up and down, the dark pink nipples standing out like little strawberries set in cream, just waiting to be tasted. Her smooth stomach had been revealed to me before when she had worn a bikini, but it was not nearly as interesting to me as her breasts . . . and that hidden cave between her legs that was currently being concealed by a scrap of lace that just barely qualified as underwear.

"Natsu . . ." Lucy whispered.

I could hear the insecurity there, and my heart ached. I surged forward and crushed her against me. "You're beautiful, weirdo," I murmured.

"Shut up," she told me. But as I pulled back slightly, I saw the blush on her face.

I slowly brought a hand up and caressed her cheek with my fingers, marveling at the softness of her skin. "Can I . . . can I touch you, Lucy?"

Her cheeks turned even redder. "Umm, y-yeah."

Not needing a further invitation, I trailed my hands up her sides and brought my thumbs up to gently touch the bottom of her breasts, drawing them across the tender flesh with a sort of reverence. I knew that Loke had said we should focus on building our relationship before jumping in bed together, but this all felt so right. I already knew Lucy. I knew her heart and soul. And I wanted her. And the tender flesh of her breasts felt so _great_ against my fingers.

"You're not going to punch me, are you, Lucy?" I asked her with a toothy grin.

"I might if you keep teasing me," she muttered, turning her head away.

I cupped her breasts in earnest then, drawing my thumbs across her nipples. The throaty moan she let out made me swallow. I had snuck in more than one feel of those soft mounds, but it had always been with the knowledge that a freak-out would follow. It had never been like this. And now, it felt like everything was burning. I wanted a taste of her.

"Sit on the couch, Lucy," I commanded her in a low voice.

She looked up at me in surprise, and I merely stared her down.

"All right," she said. She went and sat on the couch. As I stared at her, she covered her breasts with her arms, looking self-conscious.

"There'll be none of that," I growled, moving over to kneel between her legs. I smacked away her hands and moved in to pull her right nipple into my mouth.

Her sharp intake of breath sent a jolt of something deep into my gut. I suckled at her breast and then traced a path around her nipple with my tongue.

"Mmm, Natsu," she groaned, thrusting her hand into my hair and pushing me into her breast harder.

I grinned against her warm flesh. Maybe Lucy _did_ like things a little rough.

I nipped at her breast, digging my fangs in, though not enough to break the skin. She let out a little squeal, and her hands made their way to my back, pressing her fingernails into my skin. I groaned against her chest, licking at a pert nipple while one of my hands came up to knead and pinch at her other breast.

" _Natsu_ ," she breathed. She bucked up a little against my mouth, and a scent that smelled like absolute heaven wafted up toward me.

I broke away from her breasts and ripped off her panties, ignoring her squeak of surprise. Then I yanked her legs over my shoulders and buried my nose in that special place between her legs, not even bothering to take a look before doing so.

"Ah!" she cried out in surprise.

Her smell was beyond description. No food I had ever eaten had ever made me feel like this. The scent was simply indescribable. My little dragon was throbbing with desire.

"What are you d-doing, Natsu?" she asked shakily.

Rather than respond out loud, I drew my tongue along the exterior of her special cave, delighting in the flavor of _Lucy_ which exploded on my tongue. Her muffled shriek only increased my excitement, and I began licking and sucking at her in earnest while her heels dug into my back and she pressed herself against me.

" _Nat-suuuu_ ," she keened.

"You taste so good, Luce," I told her. I pulled back to gaze at the warm pink flesh before me. It was a little like a wrinkled fruit, as Cana had said, yet it was so much more than that.

Lucy's whimper sent a spike of desire through my belly.

"Do you like it when I lick you, Luce? Does it make you feel all fired up?" I asked her. And then I started to drag my tongue against that tiny little lump at the top of the special place in her legs, and she thrashed against me.

"Nastu, yes!" she cried out. "Again, _please_!"

I grinned against her warm folds, rubbing my lips and tongue everywhere, coming back every so often to that magic button Cana had told me about. Soon enough, Lucy was writhing against me, begging, " _Harder! More! Please, Natsu!_ "

I loved the sound of my name coming off her lips. But I couldn't make it too easy for my Lucy. I teased her, moving slow and then pulling away.

" _Natsu_ ," she whined. Her eyes were on me, big and dark, her large breasts heaving up and down, a slight sheen of saliva just barely visible on them.

I put her legs down so they were back on the floor, and I went in between them, standing and leaning down to kiss Lucy. After everything the guild had taught me, I had imagined doing dozens of things to Lucy, and going with what felt right seemed to be working.

I pressed a soft kiss upon her lips, sneaking my tongue in and stroking her own tongue. I then pulled back and breathed against her mouth, "Can you taste yourself on me, Luce? I love how you taste. Do you like it?"

"Natsu, stop," she said, sounding embarrassed. But I knew she really liked it.

I thrust my still-covered little dragon up between her legs, pressing against her. "Do you feel that, Lucy? Do you feel what you do to me? I'm so hard for you right now that I could explode."

"Can you . . ." Lucy started, swallowing, " . . . umm, take off your pants?"

"Only for you, Lucy," I told her with a fanged grin. Slowly, I removed my pants and underwear, and my little dragon sprang free of its cage, standing at attention.

Lucy looked at it with wide eyes. "S-so big," she whispered.

"This is what you do to me," I told her. Then I dropped down so that I was facing her special cave again. My left hand dropped down to my little dragon and began to slowly stroke. The feeling was nothing like that banana Gildarts had asked me to play with. Having Lucy before me as I moved my sensitive flesh up and down was paradise to me.

I stuck out a finger from my right hand tentatively, slipping it inside her. She groaned and threw her head against the back of the couch.

"So wet, Lucy," I told her, marveling at the feeling of some of my flesh being encased in her. I hadn't really been told about this part. "Wet and hot and _tight_."

"Mmm, that's what you do to _me_ , Natsu," she mumbled, wiggling against my finger.

I groaned and put one more finger inside her. I moved both fingers in and out, loving every whimper that I wrung out of her, and then I put my mouth back on her, playing that magic button with everything I had.

My name was like a mantra on her lips, growing faster, louder, breathier. I squeezed my little dragon with every sound, the taste of her swirling in my mouth. I drew my fingers under the head of my little dragon and then down to cup the sack underneath while I pressed my tongue harder against her, flicking at her while I shoved my fingers in and out of her.

Finally, she cried out, " _Natsu_!" And her her insides spasmed around my fingers, warm and wet and _perfect_.

Several seconds passed. Both of us were breathing heavily, and I was still gliding my hand up and down my little dragon. When she finally opened her eyes and looked at me, I grinned at her, bringing out my fingers and slipping them inside my mouth. "You taste _so_ good, Lucy."

She licked her lips, watching as I sucked my fingers, and then, on a whim, I reached out and shoved them in her mouth. She jerked backward in surprise against the back of the couch, but she had nowhere to go.

"Suck my fingers, Lucy," I commanded. I hoped she didn't hear the quiver in my voice. In spite of what Virgo and Bisca had said—and my own desire to speak to Lucy in a way I never had before—I worried that it might be too much, that Lucy might decide she didn't want me after all.

But contrary to my fears, the desire in Lucy's eyes only darkened. She sucked on my finger with that delicate pink mouth, drawing them in and out, moaning against my flesh.

"Damn, Lucy," I growled. "That feels good."

She finished sucking off the last of her juices from my fingers, and I took them away, my breathing heavy.

"I want to make you feel good, Natsu," she said, gasping. And then she yanked me over so that I could change spots with her.

Now I was on the couch, and she was in between my legs. My little dragon gave a twitch as I watched her lean forward, her large breasts pressing against my legs, those hard nipples being pushed into my flesh.

She brought a hand up to gently caress my little dragon, testing it, feeling its smoothness. Though I wanted nothing more than for her to put her mouth on me, I let her take her time. She squeezed the sack beneath it, frowning in concentration, and then she moved her fingertips along the length to skirt around the head. A bead of liquid at the top caught her attention, and she leaned over it, her pretty pink tongue coming out to swipe at it.

I cursed as my hips bucked upward, seeking her mouth. She startled backward a little, and then she smiled, that super special Lucy smile, and I only wanted her more. I lifted one of my arms and showed her how to move her hand up and down while squeezing.

She started a good rhythm, becoming accustomed to this important part of me, and then I couldn't take it any longer, and I begged, "Suck me, Lucy. _Please_."

She grinned at my neediness, no doubt realizing that she was in power, and then she lowered that hot, wet, _perfect_ mouth and encased me. She experimented at first, obviously unsure, sucking first at the head and drawing her tongue around the bottom and sides of the head. Then she went just a little deeper than the head before coming back up. She did this a few times, her mouth slipping up and down, her teeth occasionally scraping along my length.

Finally, I couldn't help myself. I put my hand on her head, pushing down and forcing her to go deeper. She gagged slightly, and I let up a little, but I couldn't let go of her head. With my hips, I jerked myself in and out of her mouth. Her teeth were sheathed by her lips, and she finally seemed to realize just the way I liked it.

"Lucy, you are so damn hot," I purred. "I like taking your mouth for my own. That mouth is mine and mine alone. No other guy gets you here. No other guy gets to do these things to you. You're mine, Lucy. You get it?"

She pulled back for a moment to take a breather, and I groaned. " _Lucy._ "

"I like sucking your dick, Natsu," she told me with that little smile. "I like what I can do to you." And then she brought her mouth down on me again.

"Lucy," I grunted, surprised at what those simple words had done to me. "I'm about to—"

I tried to warn her, tried to get her to pull back even as I tried to thrust deeper into her mouth, but she held fast. And then my white fire exploded into her mouth, hot and wet and thick. And though I wanted to give her the chance to escape it, I couldn't, and I held her head against me as she swallowed it all down. " _Lucy_ ," I moaned, bucking against her mouth, loving how she tightened her lips against my little dragon.

She finally pulled away, wiping at her mouth. She had a very satisfied look on her face, but I felt mortified.

"Lucy, I'm sorry. I wanted you to be able to get away, but—"

"It's all right, Natsu," she soothed. "I liked doing that for you." And then she stood up and gave me a long deep kiss.

When she broke away, she purred, "Do you like it that you can taste yourself on me?"

I laughed. "You're such a weirdo, Lucy."

She moved on top of me, straddling me, and I could already feel my little dragon stirring back to life, though it hardly seemed possible.

"Do you think I'm hot, Natsu?" she asked, pressing her breasts against my chest. She wiggled in my lap, causing me to groan. "Do you like feeling my naked body up against you?"

"Lucy, I want to be inside you," I told her as I brought my hands up to her breasts, caressing the nipples with my thumbs. "I love you so much, and I want you more than anything I've ever wanted before."

"You can have me," she purred, shifting in my lap. "But you have to do whatever I tell you first."

"Anything," I promised. A spike of desire shot through me.

A slow grin spread across her face. "Call me 'Princess,' my dragon."

"Princess, what do you want me to do?" I asked her. I would have called her anything just to see those desire-darkened eyes focused on me.

"Suck on my nipple," she commanded, raising herself up on my lap to stick her breast in my face.

I opened my mouth and latched my teeth onto her nipple, pulling gently at it. She let out a quiet hiss and shook her head. "Naughty boy, Natsu. I wanted you to suck, not bite."

"Yes, Princess," I responded. And this time, I did as she said, sucking her nipple into my mouth.

"Ooooh," she cooed. She brought a hand down to lift up my left hand, which she slowly rubbed in circles on her free breast.

I lapped at her nipple, nipping and licking, sucking and pulling.

"Good dragon," she praised. "Now, get flat on the couch."

As she moved, I shifted around on the couch so that I was on my back. And then Lucy, with a slight flush to her cheeks that told me she was nervous in spite of her confidence, drew her perfect center up to my head and hovered over my mouth.

I gazed upward at that beautiful pink flesh, and I knew instantly what she wanted. I raised my hands up to her hips and gently set her down on my face. Then I began licking and sucking once more at the area around her cave, watching as she thrust her head back, pushing her large breasts further forward in the air. "Oh, Natsu," she groaned. "That's perfect."

"Please may I get inside you, Princess?" I begged, the image of Lucy's naked pleasure so inflaming that I did not think I could last much longer. "Gray—that is, ah, I've got some . . . some condoms . . . so you don't umm, well, get pregnant."

She smiled at me and then shifted her body downward so that she could give me a kiss. I could feel my little dragon against the soft cheeks of her hind quarters, and I let out a groan. "You may," she whispered. Then she moved off me.

In my haste to get to my pants, I fell off the couch. But I didn't let that slow me down. I dove for my pants and came back to the couch with an unwrapped condom. Lucy stared at my little dragon like it was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen, and she watched as I slowly sheathed myself in the condom.

I was panting harder at this point, my impatience and desire both striving to lead me forward, but I knew there was a conversation I needed to have with Lucy first. "Lucy," I breathed, licking my lips, "there's something you need to know."

The desire in her face was briefly covered by concern before she masked her emotions. "What is it?"

"When a dragon mates, it's forever. And if you're a . . . well, if you've never, you know, done this before, then it might hurt a little more than you expect. But I want you to be my mate, Lucy."

"Natsu, I've loved you for a long time. I just never knew you felt the same way as me. I would love to be your . . . your mate."

I broke out into a wide grin. "That's great news, Luce. That means no dragon slayer is ever going to touch you again."

I could see the confusion in her eyes, but it really wasn't a good time to go into dragon-slayer noses, so I just told her, "Now, we're gonna have to do this the dragon way first, and it's going to hurt. I have to . . . I have to bite you, to leave my mark on you. I'm sorry. It's just . . . it's just what we do."

"Take me however you want, Natsu. I'm ready."

"On your hands and knees on the floor," I told her. Lucy was way better-looking than Gajeel's crude napkin figure.

Lucy immediately obeyed, presenting her hind quarters to me while her head twisted around to watch. I softly caressed the cheeks of her rear and drew my fingers along her special cave, loving the whimper she let out.

Then I rubbed my little dragon against the opening to her cave, feeling the wetness that had seeped outside. I groaned. Lucy was _perfect_. But I wanted to try to be slow, for her sake.

"My dragon, please," she moaned.

And that was the breaking point. I thrust my way inside, pressing past any barriers.

Lucy gasped, and I winced as I realized that I had broken past her maidenhead more roughly than I had intended.

"Are you all right, Luce?" I asked her in concern.

"Yeah," she said tightly. "Just give me a moment."

I waited for a handful of breaths before I finally heard her speak again. "All right, Natsu," she said, her voice a little tight. "Please move. Just . . . start slowly."

I didn't know if I could really do that, but I was certainly willing to try. Holding onto her hips, I shifted backward slightly, pulling most of the way out, but not all of the way. She let out a hiss, but I kept slowly moving back and forth. And then finally, I heard it, a small whispered, " _Yessss_." And I knew she was ready.

My hands dug into her hips as I thrust in and out of her with wild abandon. "Do you like it when I take you from behind, Lucy? Do you like it when I ram inside that hot, wet cave?"

"I love it, Natsu! Please, go harder!"

"Anything you want, Princess," I told her, picking up speed.

I wanted to give her the world and all its pleasures. I wanted to make everything perfect for her. But it felt so _good_ to be sheathed inside her, and as she cried out my name, I released myself inside her and brought myself over the top of her body and jammed my fangs into her shoulder.

"Natsu!" she cried out - in pain or pleasure, I wasn't sure.

And then I felt a sort of humming pulse spread outward from where our bodies were joined, as if my dragon had joined souls with hers and was letting out a notification to the world that we were now one.

And I knew that was the case. My soul had joined with hers. My heart beat in time with hers. Lucy was my everything. We were like a supernova blazing brilliantly in the sky.

I had collapsed on top of her without realizing it, and I took a moment to nuzzle the spot where I had bit her, lathing it gently with my tongue. The blood was a tang in my mouth, and I frowned at the taste.

"Are you all right, Lucy? I'm sorry if I bit you too hard."

"Mmm, I'm fine, Natsu," she said, sounding sleepy. "I'm yours now."

"Mine," I said. "My Lucy." I liked the sound of that.

I buried my nose once more in her neck, sniffing out the joining of our scents. But I could still smell blood, and I pulled away from her in confusion, my little dragon exiting her cave as I did so. I looked down and saw the hint of blood down its length, mixed with my little dragon's white fire. Frowning, I touched my fingers between Lucy's legs.

"Does it hurt, Lucy?"

Lucy slowly turned around, shifting so that she was on her back. She smiled up at me, now unembarrassed in her nakedness. "I'm fine, Natsu. I'll probably be a little sore in the morning, but I'm just fine."

I growled to myself, not quite liking that answer, and then I drew myself up between her legs and began to tenderly lick her.

"Nats-su," she said, "w-what are you doing?"

"I'm cleaning you up, weirdo," I told her. I continued to lap up the mixture of juices, of my essence and Lucy's, mixed with the sealing agent of her virginal blood.

"But you're licking up your, you know, _stuff_ ," she said.

I could tell by the way she wiggled beneath me that she was enjoying it. "I know," I said. "I don't care. It's mixed with _your_ stuff. And I want to make sure all your blood is gone."

She nodded and let out a sigh of pleasure, allowing me to continue what I was doing. Once I was satisfied that she been cleaned up properly—without the slightest trace of blood-smell in my nose—I began to work on bringing her back up to the pleasure peak. I thrust my fingers in and out, licking and nipping, and she reached a gentle high, letting out a quiet keen as her insides began to spasm around my fingers.

"I love you, Natsu," she breathed.

I brought my fingers up to my nose, and after smelling them, I licked them clean. "I love you, too, Luce. You're the best thing I've ever tasted, and you know how much I like food."

"S-stop, Natsu. That's gross." But the smile on Lucy's face gave the lie to her words.

"Uh huh," I told her, giving her a fang-filled grin.

She let out a wide yawn. "I'm tired, but I'm too tired to go to bed. You want to sleep on the couch?"

"You mean . . . you're going to let me sleep _with_ you?"

"Of course, Natsu. I'm your _mate_ now, remember?"

My jaw slackened. "If I'd known that all it would take to get into your bed was to mate with you, I'd have done it a long time ago!"

Lucy snorted and shook her head, muttering to herself, "Unbelievable."

She dragged herself over and up on top of the couch, and I crawled over, lifting myself up on top of her. Having our bare bodies pressed against each other felt so _right_ that I suddenly felt like I had an inkling as to why that stupid ice-lover stripped so much.

"Mmm, g'night, Lucy."

"Good night, Natsu."

But as I rested there on top of Lucy, my right arm underneath me and my left arm resting over her, I couldn't sleep. All I could do was listen as Lucy snored lightly beneath me and watch the peaceful look on her face.

"This is how it's meant to be," I said softly to myself.

"Yes, cuddling is the best part!"

"Gah!" I exclaimed. And then I fell off the couch. I just barely missed taking Lucy with me.

Hovering above the couch was Mavis, an innocent expression on her face. "You wanted advice, right? Well, my advice is that cuddling is the best part!"

"You better not have been watching while we were having sex, First Master," I grumbled.

"You know," Mavis said, "I always sort of thought dragons did it while hanging upside down."

"We're dragons, not bats!" I growled.

"I also thought that dragon slayers would get all scaley when mating for the first time," she mused.

"Get out," I told her none-too-gently.

"Do you think it's possible for a spirit to have intercourse with another couple?"

" _GET OUT_!" I shouted.

And that was how I learned that Fairy Tail's first guild master was actually a pervert.

And—oh, yeah—that's also what happened the first time I mated with Lucy. And uh, if there might've just possibly been an explosion on Strawberry Street, it had everything to do with the force of my love for Lucy and nothing to do with me trying to chase down a perverted founder of the Fairy Tail guild.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** And that's a wrap, folks! Sorry it took me so long. The first half wrote itself fine, but the second half (i.e., the lemon) gave me a lot of fits and didn't turn out like I wanted. I finally decided to just give it to you anyway, flaws and all. (I didn't even proof the last half, so apologies for all errors.) Sorry this third part wasn't as funny, but I hope you got something out of it at least. Feedback is welcome. Thanks for everything!

 **Book Rec:** If you've only seen the movies for _Lord of the Rings_ , you need to check out the books! At least check out _The Hobbit_ , which makes for an easier read!

 **Anime Rec:** You should check out the _Seven Deadly Sins_ anime series on Netflix. It's surprisingly good! I really like the characters.


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